1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to sunroofs for motor vehicles. In particular, the invention relates to sunroofs of the type have a single movable roof panel and those having a pair of roof panels, one of which is movable.
2. Description of Related Art
Sunroofs are very common on motor vehicles, especially on automobiles. A common type of single panel sunroof is the tilt-slide type in which the cover panel can either be lifted at a rear edge into an inclined ventilation position or it can be slid back under the rear area of the fixed vehicle roof. Examples of two of the many versions of such sunroofs can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,699,421 and 5,104,178.
More recently, double panel sunroofs have come into use in order to enable more fresh air and/or more light to enter the motor vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,149 shows one example of such a roof, and the Webasto® Hollandia 524 GrandView is another example of such a roof.
While the consumer benefits from an increased selection of available types of sunroofs, the manufacturer or installed faces the problem of having to carry a larger inventory of parts, which means an increase in up-front expenses and an increased storage space requirement.